To my recently divorced parents,

If I could say one thing in response to this situation, it would be "thank you".

First and foremost, thank you for getting divorced. Thank you for realizing that staying married for the sake of your children was doing more harm than good. Thank you for bringing love back into the family by separating. Thank you for making home a place that I actually wanted to be. Thank you for becoming a single parent.

Thank you for showing me when it is time to walk away. Thank you for exemplifying how you not need a happy ending to your story to be okay. Thank you for teaching me life lessons early-on so that I may not have to endure this suffering later. Thank you for allowing me to learn from your mistakes.

Thank you for teaching me that love is a choice. Thank you for teaching me that loving myself is also a choice. Thank you for teaching me that sometimes, we have to do what is best, even if it is hard. Thank you for ripping off the band-aid, even if what awaited underneath was scary and unknown. Thank you for teaching me that doing what is right is not always easy.

Thank you for teaching me how to respect myself by walking away from toxic people and situations. Thank you for teaching me that a marriage without love will not prosper. Thank you for teaching me the importance of building a relationship on trust. Thank you for showing me that respect is a two way street; you get out what you put in.

Thank you for showing me how slowly alcoholism can creep up on you. Thank you for teaching me that addiction is an illness. Thank you for allowing me to be a witness to the long term effects being an alcoholic will have on family and friends. Thank you for teaching me that choosing to not get help can not only ruin your marriage, but will also turn your life upside-down. Thank you for teaching me to not cave to the temptation of drugs and alcohol. Thank you for being the exact opposite of what I wish to become.

Thank you for showing me how easy it is to push everyone who loves you away. Thank you for showing me that a person who does not want to change is not going to change. Thank you for making me aware that a relationship is not a missionary task. Thank you for showing me the kind of love I do not deserve.

Thank you for forcing me to grow up. Thank you for unintentionally teaching me how to be independent. Thank you for creating a situation in which I needed to learn to support myself. Thank you for teaching me how important having good credit and budgeting is. Thank you for showing me what life without a college degree is like. Thank you for being my source of motivation to finish school.

Thank you for showing me how to set a better example as the oldest child. Thank you for allowing me to be the person my siblings can come to.

Thank you for changing my perspective on life.

Thank you for taking a giant leap of faith to better all of our lives.

Most importantly, do not apologize. You have not failed. We are all rising from the ashes. Thank you for giving us all a different chance at happiness, especially yourself.